The Long Road Down
by darlingbones
Summary: Lissie Beaumont had no idea what she stumbled into the night that Devil Anse Hatfield found her on that road, but she was sure going to find out. Cap/OC. R R! (first H&M fic)
1. Chapter 1-Ward

**A/N:** This is my first story in this fandom, and I'm still new to writing anything from this long ago! I hope you enjoy it :)

_Winter_, _1877_

The snow was knee deep and she could scarcely move through it, but she did her best, keeping her hands up to avoid the branches that whipped at her from all sides. She had to keep moving, she had no idea if those men were still after her, or if they'd seen her at all. She'd been hiding in the barn, and they'd been too busy having their fun inside of her house. She could still hear her momma screaming, and she stopped a moment, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. When she looked back over her shoulder, she saw a faint amber glow through the trees. Her family's home continued to burn to the ground, and she lifted up her skirts and ran.

She had no idea how long she'd been running, but eventually the woods gave way to the Tug Fork River. Even in the dark, she figured out where she was and she let out a tiny sigh of relief as she stepped onto the bridge that led away from Kentucky into West Virginia. Off in the distance behind her, she could hear men shouting. She forced herself not to freeze as she darted across the bridge. The wood was covered in slush and she slipped a few times, but she was able to keep her balance long enough to make it to West Virginia soil.

It seemed longer than an hour since she'd escaped the barn and started running. The men who had come to her house had worn tattered Yankee uniforms, and although the war was over, she knew that they had once been soldiers. They had come looking for money, or any valuables that they could steal. Her daddy had tried to ward them off, but they were quicker on the draw and they shot him dead.

She'd seen all of this through a crack in the barn door, where she'd abandoned her game of hide and seek she'd been playing with her brothers and sister in favor of reading up in the hayloft. The men charged into the house, and she'd heard one shot after another as they killed her siblings. Her momma had been last, and she could only imagine what those men had done to her before they killed her, judging by her screams. Not one member of her family gave her up or called out to her before they died, and she took her chance to run while the men were still in the house. She had nothing but the clothes on her back, all of her childhood possessions up in flames when the men lit the fire.

Her cheek stung terribly, and she paused, touching the broken skin lightly. A branch had caught her when she'd entered the woods, leaving a deep vertical gash beneath her eye. Shivering violently, she crouched by the river and rinsed the blood off as best she could. The freezing water was a shock to her system, and she hurried to her feet again to keep moving. She didn't know how much farther she was going to make it, the cold weather and her soaked clothes chilling her to the bone. If she made it to safety, she would probably die of pneumonia. It never got quite as dark during the winter, but she still had a hard time figuring the road out in the snow. She tripped over a rock hidden beneath the white powder, falling to her hands and knees. With a quiet curse, she stumbled to her feet and kept on going. In the distance, she heard horses and men talking. Icy fear washed over her, but she kept going.

"Help me!" She cried out, and she kept shouting until her voice was hoarse. Falling to her knees, she began to cry. Up ahead, she saw the bright light of a lantern, and she scrabbled through the snow. "Help me, please!" The sounds got closer, but she felt herself going lightheaded.

"Who's there? Identify yourself!" A man called back. She heard a horse whinny mere inches away from her, and the lanterns warmth washed over her face.

"Help…" She whispered, trying to pull herself to her feet. But exhaustion overtook her, and she collapsed back into the snow, everything growing dark.

* * *

Her eyes blinked open slowly, expecting to see that she was still lying in the middle of the road, half frozen in the snow. But instead she found herself lying in a bed, wearing a night gown that wasn't hers. The room she was in was chilly, but she was covered in a few warm quilts. And she also saw that she wasn't alone; a dark haired woman was on the other side of the room, ringing out a rag from a bowl of water. On the opposite side of the room, a man was sitting in the chair smoking a pipe. He saw that she was awake, and offered her a kind smile.

"Levicy," The woman at the basin turned around to look at her, concern in her dark eyes. She came over and rested the cool cloth on her forehead. "'Bout time you woke up. You gave us all quite a fright."

"How long have I been sleepin'?" she asked, her voice scratchy. The woman, Levicy, sat down on the edge of the bed. Her fingers were gentle as she examined the gash on her cheek, but the girl still flinched.

"Three days. What's your name, girl?" Levicy wondered.

"Lissette Beaumont." She answered. The man got up from his chair and walked over, helping Lissette sit up in the bed. Her head no longer felt fuzzy, and she suspected that the man who was standing over was the one who found her.

"My name is Levicy Hatfield, and this here's my husband—" Lissette cut her off abruptly.

"Devil Anse." She finished for her. She now knew where she was. She was in the home of Devil Anse Hatfield. He didn't appear as terrible as people on the other side of the Tug described him, and she put whatever she'd heard about him right out of her mind.

"Where's your kin, girl?" He asked, and she bit her lower lip.

"They was murdered. Yankee soldiers done it." She whispered, turning her head away as tears filled her eyes.

"The war's over. Ain't any Yankees left around here. You sure that's who you seen?" Levicy asked, but she didn't sound like she was calling Lissette a liar. The girl wiped at her eyes and looked back at them. She knew that they were only trying to find out where she'd come from, and how she'd end up passed out in the middle of the road.

"I seen 'em. They was wearing Yankee uniform trousers, but not the jackets." Lissette explained. Anse nodded his head.

"Prolly leftover fellas who been hidin' out around there. You say they got your whole family?" He asked, rubbing his hand over his beard. She nodded slowly, wondering what they were thinking of doing with her. She expected to be shipped off to the orphanage.

"Let me talk to you outside, Anderson." Levicy said, getting up and walking to the door. After a moment, Anse followed after her, pulling the door closed behind them. Lissette frowned, unsure of what was going on. She could hear their voices getting farther away, and while she knew they were talking about her.

She would not feel ill will against them if they sent her away; she was a stranger in their home and they owed her nothing. They had saved her life, and that was enough. While she didn't really care for the idea of spending the next five years living in a children's home, she still understood. Her parents had taught her to be grateful to others, and this time would be no different.

The door slowly opened, and Lissette looked up, expecting to see Levicy or Anse stepping back in. But it was a boy. He looked to be around her age, with blond hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He offered her a friendly smile as he stepped into the room, and Lissette couldn't help but return it.

"You're alive." He said, his voice teasing. The corner of his mouth tilted up in a smirk, and she found herself laughing.

"It appears so," She pulled herself up more as he walked into the room, his hands shoved in the pockets of his trousers. "I'm Lissette. What's your name?"

"William. Pa and Uncle Jim pulled you outta the snow, if they hadn't been out there you would been froze to death." He said. Lissette nodded her head.

"You tell your daddy thank you for me, William." She said, pulling the covers to her chin. He gave her a curious look.

"You'll be able to thank him yourself." He said, as the door opened more. Anse walked in, Levicy trailing behind him. She had a light smile on her face.

"I admit, I was fixin' to ship you off to the orphanage but my wife here's got a big heart and she convinced me. We got enough food for one more mouth to feed. We'll be takin' you on as our ward, unless you object." Anse said with a raised brow. Lissette's mouth fell open in surprise.

"Your ward? You'll be keepin' me?" She asked. Levicy nodded her head, her smile widening.

"We'll raise you up, put a roof over your head and clothes on your back. And when the time comes, a proper husband. Can't just toss you out in the snow, girl. It don't seem right." She said. Lissette looked over at William, who winked before walking out of the room.

"Thank you kindly, I'm very happy to be stayin' here." She whispered.

* * *

Lissette soon found herself falling into a normal routine, living with the Hatfields. She helped with the chores, kept an eye on the little ones when Levicy needed it. None of the other children had any quarrels about her being there. There was William, along with his older brother Johnse, their younger brothers Robert E and Elliot, and their sisters Nancy and Mary. It still boggled her with six children, Levicy and Anse still took her in. But she dare not question it, not when she had a warm bed at night and food in her belly.

The winter was harder on some, but they made it through. By mid March, Lissette had been there almost five months. She didn't call Anse and Levicy Ma or Pa, rather Aunt and Uncle. They referred to her as their ward, but while she was not of the Hatfield blood they treated her as such. She hadn't been expecting a gift come Christmas, but they'd given her a beautiful cedar Hope Chest. Anse had made it himself, proclaiming that each of the girls would receive on when they turned thirteen, and she deserved it.

But she mourned her family greatly, crying herself to sleep most nights. She missed her momma's cooking, and her daddy's singing. She missed Nathaniel and Charlie's wrestling matches over who got to put the star on the tree at Christmas. And she missed little Sarah snuggling up to her at night, demanding to be told a story before bed. There were no graves to rest flowers upon, nowhere for Lissette to visit them. She didn't even have the only photo of her family that had been taken a few weeks after Sarah had been born.

And then there was the scar on her face, right beneath her eye from that tree branch. What man was going to want a scarred up woman? Levicy told her time and again to put that thought out of her mind, that it was barely noticeable. But Lissette noticed it, when she did her hair in Nancy's looking glass every morning. When springtime came and she went into town, she couldn't help but think about what people were going to say about her, the Hatfield ward.

There was one habit that Lissette had carried over from her own home hiding in the barn to read. The Hatfields had a room above their barn, for storing hay, much like she'd had at her home. It was nice to be able to sit in the quiet room, bundled in her coat and a quilt, and read. She was well educated, thanks to her momma, and Ellison Hatfield had gifted her with a stack of books for Christmas. She sat with her back against the wall, her knees pulled up as she read the first page of a book called Robinson Crusoe.

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Lissette paused in her reading. The door opened, the hinges squeaking as William poked his head in. He was carrying a lantern, and he hung it on the opposite side of the room that Lissette had hung hers. The room brightened more, and Lissette frowned.

"Is your momma lookin' for me? I told her I was gonna come read for a spell." She said, starting to close her book. He shook his head, dropping down into the hay beside her.

"I was just comin' up here to see what you were getting' up to. It's quiet out here." He noticed, looking around the room. Lissette smiled.

"I don't mind the noise none, but the quiet is nice. Your momma and daddy let me come out here and read." She admitted, showing him the book.

"Whatcha readin'?" He asked, genuinely curious. She didn't show him the cover of the book, and she'd never asked any of the Hatfield children if they could read. She thought that it would be impolite to do so. Instead she opened to the first page again, and turned her head to look at William.

"One of the books your Uncle Ellison gave me for Christmas. It's called Robinson Crusoe," She bit her bottom lip. "I could read a bit to you, if you'd like." He smirked at her.

"If that's your polite way of askin' if I can read, the answer's yet," Lissette flushed, embarrassed, and William chuckled. "That don't mean I wouldn't like you to read."

She cleared her throat and began reading, struck with the memories of reading to her brothers and sister. It still stung her heart a little, but she tried her best to keep the hurt out of her voice. It must not have worked too well, because William scooted closer and draped his arm around her shoulder. Lissette stiffened for a moment, before relaxing into William's embrace. It was a friendly gesture on his part, but it meant more to her than he could guess.

An hour later, when Johnse came looking for William to help him with the horses, he found Lissette and William asleep, sitting side by side in the hay, the book laying open on William's chest and Lissette's head on his shoulder. He didn't bother to wake them, and neither of them woke up when he left the barn.


	2. Chapter 2-Words Don't Mean Nothin'

**A/N**: Thanks to ruthie-r89 and DTaylor201989 for my first two reviews! And thank you for the follows :) Also, this story isn't going to follow the events of the miniseries to the letter, just fair warning! :)

_(Banner for "The Long Road Down" can be found on my profile.)_

_1879_

"Elliot Hatfield, you get down from there this instant or I'm runnin' and tellin' your momma!" Lissie shouted to the little boy who was currently scrambling up the oak tree out behind the Hatfield's home. She used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked up between the branches. She hoped that Elliot took her threat seriously, even though his momma wasn't even home at the moment.

"I'm comin down, don't tell!" He yelled back, and Lissie let out a little breath of relief. There was no fear of him falling out, each of the Hatfield boys was good at something, and Elliot was good at climbing trees. And it was her responsibility to look out for him and Mary while Levicy and Nancy had gone into town with Sarah Staton to get some things. Mary was currently off at the edge of the woods, picking wildflowers.

It had been seven months since Devil Anse Hatfield found Lissie Beaumont on that road in West Virginia, after her family's murder, and he and his wife took her into their home. It didn't surprise her that the sheriff in Kentucky never came looking for her; they probably thought her dead with the rest of her family. She'd had no other kin in Kentucky, and if anyone had wanted to come and look for her, they never did. Lissie didn't mind; the Hatfield's had made her feel right at home in their family.

Elliot hopped to the ground and Lissie walked over to him, swatting him upside his head good naturedly. The boy gave her a smirk before he ran off to play with his sister, and she dropped down onto the swing that was tied up around the thickest branch of the tree.

"You two stay where I can see you now!" She called out, and they both nodded their agreement. Venturing into the woods was forbidden without one of their big brothers or a grownup, and they stuck close to where she could see them. While she might have had her eye on them, her mind was wandering elsewhere.

Sarah Staton tended to fill Levicy in on the local gossip when she came over for her visits, while her husband Ellison was off working with Anse at the logging mill. And Lissie might have known that eavesdropping was a sin, but she'd still listened in when she'd heard her name brought up in conversation.

"Are you sure it's wise, havin' this girl in your home? Someone told me she set that fire herself that killed all of her kin. They say that she's dangerous!" Sarah had said, and Lissie's stomach still turned sour when she thought back on it.

"I won't hear any of that foolish gossip in my house, Sarah! That girl has been here for seven months, there ain't a violent bone in her body." Levicy had protested, coming to Lissie's defense in an instant. As grateful as she was, she still hated the fact that such nasty rumors were being spread about her. People were going to talk and gossip and Lissie had to do her best to ignore it no matter what she heard.

At the sound of a horse coming up the road, Lissie got up from the swing and turned to see who it was. Even as far away as they were, she could still see clearly that it was Johnse. It was the middle of the day, and he should have been at the mill with the other men. There was only one reason that he would have been riding back home at that time of day, but she made herself stay calm for the sake of Elliot and Mary. She stood by the swing, hands on her hips as she watched Johnse dismount and make it way towards her. His little brother and sister didn't seem to notice him, and if they did, they didn't divert from their playing.

"Are you playin' hooky from work, Johnse?" Lissie asked lightly, hoping that she'd kept the worry out of her voice. But when he gave her a grim smile, she knew something was wrong.

"It's Will. Tree fell at the mill, and a splinter caught his eye," He kept his voice low so that Mary and Elliot wouldn't overhear. Lissie's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth in horror. "He ain't gonna die, but it's bad."

She stepped back and dropped down onto the wooden seat of the swing, her hands gripping the ropes tight enough that her knuckles turned white. Lissie may have been relieved that William wasn't going to die, but she was still concerned about him. Out of all of the Hatfield children, it was William that she was closest with. She got along with all of them just fine, but she spent the most time with him. After they finished their chores, they could often be found down at the lake skipping rocks or out past the barn where Cap and the other boys practiced shooting. Lissie could often act as a judge for the boys when they had their own shooting contests.

"Your momma and Nancy rode into town with Ms. Staton, they was gonna pick up some things at the general store. Did you send someone for them?" She asked, glancing towards the children. Johnse raked his fingers through his hair. She could tell he was worried about his little brother.

"They're with Will at Doc Rutherford's place. Once he comes to—"

"Comes to?"

"They had to sedate him or somethin', so they could get the splinter outta his eye. Took me, Jim and Pa to hold him down until he was out. Once he comes to, they'll be bringin' him on home." He explained. Lissie shivered.

Before anything else could be said, Mary and Elliot came running over. She knew that they needed to be told about their brother, but she also knew that it was their parent's place to do so. Putting on a brave face for their sake, she got up from the swing as Mary demanded that Johnse push her. She supposed that she should go in and get supper started since Levicy wouldn't be home to do so. Johnse promised to keep an eye on the children so they wouldn't get under foot.

Lissie was just finishing up the stew when she heard the wagon pulling up outside of the house. It was barely dark, and Johnse, Mary and Elliot had already washed up for supper and come inside. Wiping her hands on her apron, she grabbed a lantern and followed Johnse out onto the porch. Anse and Johnse helped William out of the wagon, and Lissie barely stifled a gasp when she saw the bandage around his head and the blood that stained his shirt. He was upright and conscious, but Anse still kept a hold of him left he fell over on his way into the house.

"He's alright." Levicy assured her as she followed them up onto the porch, Nancy and Robert E in tow. Tears welled up in Lissie's eyes as she watched Anse taking William upstairs to his room. "He's loss the use of that eye, but it could have turned out much worse than this."

"Somethin' sure smells good in there!" Jim Vance called out as his dismounted his horse not far from the back of the wagon. The man was a tough old bear, and he had a tendency to get loud and drunk and say whatever thoughts might be on his mind. But he had never spoken an ill word towards Lissie, so she didn't mind him much.

"I made stew for supper." She said weakly, and as Jim came up the steps he patted her on the cheek.

"Don't fret none, girl. He's a tough son of a bitch, he'll be just fine." He assured her, walking inside. Lias, Ellison and Cotton-Top followed after him, and once she was sure no one else was to be joining them, she walked into the house and pushed the door closed.

Dinner was a quiet affair; the usually loud boisterous meal time dulled by William's injury. And even though Lissie didn't feel that hungry, she managed to empty her bowl. She knew that soon the younger children would be heading off to bed, and she cleared her throat.

"May I take Will up a bowl of stew?" She asked Levicy, who still looked as frazzled as when she came in. No doubt the news of William being hurt had frightened her more than it did Lissie. She nodded her head, and Lissie got up from the table.

She prepared a tray with a bowl of stew, two slices of bread and a glass of milk, and carried it upstairs to the room that Johnse and William shared. Elliot and Robert E had the room next to it, and then came Anse and Levicy's room. Downstairs was Nancy and Mary's room, and then the smaller room that Lissie called her own. She tapped her fingers on the door lightly, thinking that William may have been asleep. But when he called out for her to come in, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"I brought you some supper. You hungry?" She asked, using her foot to close the door. He was sitting up in his bed, his back propped up against his pillows. His good eye was closed, and his other was still bandaged. Hesitantly, Lissie walked over to the bed and sat the tray down beside him.

William opened his good eye, and it took him a few minutes to fully focus on her. She offered him a dim smile and stood awkwardly beside the bed.

"You scared of me now?" he asked, a frown on his face. Lissie's eyes widened a little.

"What are you talkin' about? I ain't afraid of you, Will." She protested, dropping down to sit on the edge of his bed. She was careful not to spill the tray next to him.

William reached up and unwound the bandage that covered his left eye. Lissie was expecting to see some horrible gaping wound, but instead she saw that his once blue eye had gone milky white. Her mouth fell open a little, surprised but not scared. She reached out, resting her hand on his cheek.

"I ain't afraid of you, Will Hatfield." Lissie repeated.

* * *

The trial over the hog was almost two weeks later. Randall McCoy had accused Floyd Hatfield of theft, stealing one of his razorbacks right out from beneath his nose. Lissie had to admit, it seemed a silly reason to go to court. But Randall was dead set on getting justice for what had been taken from him. And if it meant the Hatfields and the McCoys gathering in the court to dispute over a _pig_, then that was what would happen.

The courtroom was divided evenly, Hatfields on one side and McCoys on the other. Lissie sat beside William and Jim in the back of the room, casting a side glance as Roseanna and Bud McCoy who were across from her. When she glanced up in the balcony section, she spotted Johnse kneeling by the railing, eating one of the biscuits that Levicy had made that morning. He gave her a little wink, before looking past her at Roseanna. Lissie rolled her eyes, and looked away. Staring at her was only going to cause trouble, even she knew that.

"I'm gonna call you Cap, Cap'n Cap. Like your daddy, shows you're an important fella." Jim was telling William, and Lissie rolled the name around in her head. Cap Hatfield. She had to admit to herself that it suited him, and she knew this time next year everyone would be calling him that. She nudged her foot against the side of William's boot, and she saw the smirk on his face.

"Hi uncle Wall!" Cotton Top called out as Judge Wall Hatfield came through the door at the front of the courtroom, and Lissie smiled slightly. Ellison Hatfield's only son was one of the sweetest people she'd ever met, even if some people called him "mush head" or "dummy". She knew that his father loved him unconditionally, no matter how smart he was or wasn't. She missed knowing what a father's love was like. Wall banged his gavel and everyone took the seats that they had.

"Cap, it's a good name. I like it." She whispered to him, and he glanced over at her. She nodded her head encouragingly and he smiled a little. Jim reached over, offering William—Cap—some of his liquor.

Lissie turned her attention back to the proceedings as Bill Staton stood and declared that he knew that pig had been one of Floyd's razorbacks. It didn't help that he was drunk already and it not even noon. When Wall made him sit down, he asked the jury who thought it was Floyd's pig and who thought it was Randall's. Everyone voted accordingly, except for Selkirk McCoy, who exclaimed that he thought that pig had been one of Floyd Hatfield's pigs. And then all hell broke loose.

She stared in awe at the madness between the two families, as Tolbert McCoy grabbed Bill Staton and threw him to the ground, fists flying. She stumbled backwards, expecting to fall down, but she collided with a solid body. She tilted her head back, looking up into Cap's good eye. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a gunshot erupted from the front of the courtroom.

"I will gut shoot the next man who disrespects my courtroom," Wall waved his gun to both sides of the room and everyone stood stock still. Lissie found herself sinking deeper into Cap's chest. "McCoy or Hatfield." Lissie knew that he meant it; he might have been a Hatfield, but Wall was also a judge and it was up to him to uphold the law in that room.

People finally began leaving, and Lissie made her way out the doors. She started to step off to the side, but someone bumped her shoulder hard. When she turned to see who it was, she found herself face to face with Nancy McCoy.

"Watch where you're going!" she snapped nastily, walking out into the road. Lissie grit her teeth.

"I didn't like you when we was little, Nancy McCoy, I don't like you now." She muttered under her breath. Her family's farm hadn't been that far off from Nancy's house, and they had played together when they were little. Nancy never played fair; she once stole Lissie's doll and then tried to convince Lissie's momma that it had been given to her.

"Careful Nance, you don't wanna make her mad. She might go and burn your house down!" Tolbert McCoy shouted as he and his brothers went towards their horses. Lissie's cheeks flamed at his words, and she turned and stormed away.

She may not have been a Hatfield, but she had her own reasons for hating the McCoys. She knew that they had been the ones who'd spread the rumor about her starting the fire at her home. Not one of those men who murdered her family had even been found; they were probably halfway across the country now and there was no way to prove otherwise. People thought that she'd made up what she's seen, but she wasn't crazy.

Someone reached out and snatched her arm, bringing her to a halt. Lissie balled her hand into fist, turning around ready to hit whoever had a hold of her. Cap caught her wrist before she could strike him, a smirk on his face. She didn't relax immediately, still angry about what Tolbert had said.

"Don't let them McCoys get to ya." He said, not releasing her at first. He waited for then tension to seep out of her shoulders before he dropped her wrist. Lissie rolled her eyes up at him.

"Funny words, comin' from a Hatfield." She murmured.

"But you ain't Hatfield, and they ain't got no reason to hate you. Words don't mean nothin' if they ain't true." He said. Lissie had to admit that his words had a true meaning to them.

Bill Staton stumbled out of the Mate Creek Saloon, shouting after Sam and Paris McCoy, warning them that if any McCoys came after him, he'd take them down. Lissie glanced back to where the other Hatfields were gathered, and she saw those thunderclouds on Anse's face.

"He's gonna go and get himself killed." Lissie mumbled, before tugging on Cap's arm and leading him back over to the others.


End file.
